1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air bag device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle as an air bag is inflated in front of the occupant at the time of the action of an acceleration.
2. Background Information
In recent years, air bag devices have been proposed for protecting a seat occupant of a vehicle as an air bag is inflated in front of the occupant when the vehicle speed has been suddenly decelerated (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 60-248454, 60-248455, 60-248456, and 60-248457).
An air bag device of this type is so arranged that a lock bar, prevents the movement of a ball so that the air bag will not be inflated even if an impact has been applied to a main body of the air bag device before installation of the air bag device on a steering wheel.
The main body of the air bag device is fixed to the steering wheel by means of fixing bolts. After the main body of the air bag device is fixed, a sliding member for moving a release pin is inserted into the main body of the air bag device so as to move the release pin upwardly, which in turn moves the lock bar, thereby rendering the ball movable.
As shown in FIG. 9, fixing bolts 106 for fixing the main body of the air bag device to a steering wheel 104 are also present in the vicinity of an elongated bolt 100 connected to an unillustrated slider.
For this reason, if the operator threadingly inserts the elongated bolt 100 first by mistake, the slider connected to the elongated bolt 100 moves, which in turn causes the release pin to move the lock bar, thereby canceling the prevention of the movement of the ball. For this reason, if an impact is applied to the main body of the air bag device during the operation of the installation of the main body, there is the possibility of the air bag becoming inflated.
Also, at the time of removing the main body of the air bag device from the steering wheel, if the operator removes the fixing bolts 106 first by mistake, the ball is still capable of moving. Hence, if an impact is applied to the main body of the air bag device during the operation of removal of the main body, there is again the possibility of the air bag becoming inflated.